This is the last of them.  I think.  Well, there are still some in the freezer.  But there were twenty pounds of them (just my portion).  And this cake – maybe – is my favorite way to eat them.  The cherries, that is.  But I do love them pickled, too.

I made this last night after Cherub went to bed.  It was my way of unwinding after kind of a tough day.  I find satisfaction – if not a bit of peace – in the measuring, pouring, mixing, folding, testing, cooling, wrapping that it takes to make this cake.  Or any cake, really.  It takes only a few minutes to measure things out, then an hour in the oven to home-baked goodness.  The crumb is dense, the cherries jammy, the crust golden and crisp.  It’s a classic pound cake.

I originally came across this recipe somewhere in the depths of the interwebs, but halved it to fit in one 9 1/4 x 5 1/4 loaf pan and subbed fresh cherries for (gasp!) jarred maraschinos.  A bit more fiddling and I had cake.

Sour Cream Cherry Pound Cake, makes one 9.25 x 5.25 loaf

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 c soft butter

1 1/2 c sugar

3 eggs

1 T good vanilla extract

1/2 c sour cream

3/4 c fresh cherries, pitted and quartered

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl whisk together first three ingredients.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl of a stand mixer (with a hand mixer) until light and fluffy.  Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat at medium high speed for three minutes.  Add in the sour cream and beat for another one to two minutes.  Fold in the dry ingredients and mix until just smooth.  Fold in the cherries.

Pour into a 9.25 x 5.25 buttered loaf pan and bake for approximately one hour.  Begin checking for doneness (inserting a wooden skewer into the center and it coming out clean or just with a few moist crumbs) at about 50 minutes and for as long as an hour and ten minutes.  Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes then remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.  Wrap tightly in foil to keep moist.

Playlist included Who Says, by Selena Gomez and the Scene.  Because it’s an awesome pop song.  They do exist.